Razor-stropping device.



I. H. MACBRIDE RAZOR STROPPNG DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.3I.1918.

1,290,6M1 Patented Jan. 7, 1919.

mwmtoz -T 2li-2 S JAMES H. MACBRIDE, OF TAFT, CALIFORNIA.

RAZOR-STROPPING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan, 7, 1919.

Application led August 31, 1918. Serial No. 252,212.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. MAoBnrDE, a. citizen of the United States, residing at Taft, in the county of Kern and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Razor-Stropping Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings. Y

This invention relates to razor stropping devices, and has for its primary object to provide means for securely clamping that type of razor blade which is used 1n connection with the safety type of razor, the holder being so constructed as to enable the stropping of the blade at the proper angle so as to obtain a long taper cutting edge.

It is another and more particular object .of the invention to provide a holder for safetyrazor blades consisting of two resilient, narrow strips of steel, one of said steel strips having means to be engaged by the blade, and the other strip being adapted for clamping engagement upon the blade with its cutting edge projecting from one side of the holder, and means for locking the strips against relative movement. v

It is also a further object of my invention to provide simple and effective means whereby the two resilient clamping members of the holder may be easily and quickly locked together to securely clamp the blade or released for relative movement when the blade is to be removed. y

And it is a further general object of the invention to provide a device for the above purpose which is simple and durable in its construction, convenient and serviceable in practical use, and capable of manufacture at relatively small cost. With the above and other objects in viewthe invention consists in the improved construction. combination and relative arrangement of the several parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, subsequently claimed and illustrated in the 'accompanying drawings in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one form of my improved stropping device with a razor blade secured therein;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan View with the parts of the holder separated and the blade removed;

Fig. 5 is a transverse section illustrating a slightly modified form of the holder;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the latter form of the device; and

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section illustrating still another form of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 and 6 respectively designate two narrow, thin, resilient, metal strips, preferably of steel. These metal strips at one of their ends are pivotally connected to cach other by means of the grornet 7 and adjacent to said pivotal connection, the metal strip 6 is longitudinally cut away, as at 8. from one of its edges to a point in spaced relation to its other longitudinal edge, thereby leaving a narrow connecting strip of metal, designated 9, at the latter edge of the strip.

To the other strip 5 of the holder and upon the face thereof which is opposed to the longitudinal recess 8 of the strip 6, a thin sheet of metal. preferably brass, shown at 10, is secured. While various means may be employed for securing said brass sheet to the resilient metal strip, I preferably provide the strip with spaced openings and then punch the brass sheet through said openings, as shown at 11, said punched out portions of the sheet being suitably swaged into countersinks formed in the reverse face slightly greater width than the width of the strip 5, and has one of its longitudinal edges,

which projects beyond the corresponding edge of the strip 5, slightly turned or bent upwardly. as at 12. The other longitudinal edge of the brass sheet is formed with an annular upstanding flange 13.

The construction of my improved stropping device as above described is primarily designed for use with that tvpe of safety razor blade. shown at 14, which is provided with a reinforcement 15 at its back edge and has only one longitudinal cutting edge, though it will be understood, of course, that the device is not to be limited to use in connection with this specific type of blade, as it might obviously be used with other forms of blade which are not provided with such reinforcement.

The metal strip 5 is formed with a longitudinally extending slot 16 which is enlarged at one end, as at 17. That portion of alsv the slot leading to the enlargement is contracted in width, as at 18. The other resilient metal strip 6 likewise is provided with Va longitudinal'slot 19 having the c nlarged end 20. The slot in the latter strip is, however, relatively short so that the enlarged end thereof is disposed at the outer end of the contracted portion 18 of the slot.16. In the latter slot, a locking but- 'ton or stud 21 is slidably engaged, said stud-j having a large circular head 22 on one end and a head or flange 23 of appreciably less diameter on its other end.' The diameter of the latter head is, however, greater than the width of the slot 16 though it may pass freely through the enlarged ends of the slots 16 and 19. In order to dispose the locking stud for detachment fron the strip 5, considerable `force must be applied to shift said stud longitudinally through the contracted portion 18 of the slot so that the head 23 may be disposed for movement through the enlargedv end 17 thereof.

In the use of the device as above described, the reinforcement 15 along the back edge of the razor blade is engaged against the upstanding flange 12, and the other metal strip 6 is then moved over and upon the blade, the narrow portion 9 of said strip engaging the side of the blade adjacent the edge of the .back plate 15 and immediately opposite the upturned edge 12 ofthe brass sheet 10. The locking stud is then moved in the slot 16 of the strip 5 so that its head 23 will protrude through the enlarged end 20 of the slot 19 in the strip 6. The stud is then moved toward the outer ends of said slots and the two strips thus tightly locked together. The portion 9 of the metal strip 6 exerts a clamplng pressure against one side of the blade in opposition to the pressure on the curved edge 12 of the metal sheet 10. Thus, the

fblade is securely clamped and held in place.

The ends of the locked holder strips 5 and 6 are then securely grasped in the hand and the euttmg edge o the blade applied to the strop in the usual manner. As the major portion of the blade projects laterally from one edge of the narrow holder strips, a long` taper cuttlng edge may be worked on the blade, which is highly desirable. After the blade has been properly sharpened, it can be readily removed from the holder by simply j the bla e,

of brass 24 secured to the- Lepra turned inwardly, as at 26, and s aced slightly from the opposed portion o said metal sheet which is fixed to the strip 5 so that the edge portion 26 will have resilient clamping en agement against the unsharpened edge 0% the razor blade, indicated at 14', which is inserted between said spaced portions of the metal sheet. The other metal strip 6 is constructed in the same manner, as above described, so that the part 9 thereof will clampy upon the razor blade adjacent to the edge of the inturned flange 26 on'the metal sheet 2,5.

In Fig. 7 I have shown still another form of the device which is designed for use in connection with a razor blade of the Gillette type having spaced openings therein. In this construction, the metal strip 5 is formed with the spaced protuberances 27 which are adapted to project through-the openings in the blade 14:et and to extend into openings 28 in the'other metal strip 6. The. same locking means for the resilient metal strips is provided in each form of the invention herein referred to. V 4

From the above description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have devised a very simple, serviceable and durablestropping-dcvice for safety razor blades. The blade may be very easily and quickly .adjusted in proper position and secured between the resilient strips of the holder, and provides means for properly applying the cutting edge of the blade `to the strop at the requisite angle in order to secure a cutting edge of the proper taper.

ile I have herein referred to the preferred form and construction of the several features of my device and have also disclosed dierent modifications thereof, it is, however, to be' understood that the raser blade holder is susceptible of still further alternative constructions and I, accordingly, reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

1. A holder for razor blades comprising two clamping members, and means for positioning a razor blade between said members including a part fixed to one clamping member and having a resilient ange extendin longitudinally of said member to exert addltional clamping pressure upon the blade.

2. A holder for razor bladesl comprising two thin, narrow, resilient, metal strips pivotally connected to each other at one of their ends, one of said strips being longitudinally recessed from one edge to a point adjacent to its other edge, a metal sheet secured to the other strip opposite to said recess and having a Hand part with which one edge lit of the razor blade is adapted to be engaged, and means. for locking thestrips against relative pivotal movement, to retain the same in clamping engagement. upon opposite sides of the blade.

3. A holder for razor blades comprising two thin, narrow, resilient, metal strips pivotally connected to each other at one of their ends, one of said strips having a longitudinal recess extending from one edge thereof tov a point in spaced relation to its other edge, a metal sheet secured to the other strip opposite said recess and having a stop iiange on one longitudinal edge thereof with which one edge of the blade is adapted to be engaged, the other edge of said metal sheet projecting beyond the corresponding edge of the metal strip and being curved for clamping engagement against one side of the blade, the corresponding edge portion ofthe other metal strip being adapted for clamping engagement against the opposite side of the blade, and means 'for locking said strips together against relative movement.

4. A razor blade holder comprising two thin, narrow, resilient, metal strips pivotally connected to each other at one of their ends, ment by a razor blade disposed between the strips, each of said strips having a longitudinal slot therein, said slots being of relatively diHerent lengths and enlarged at one of their ends, the longer slot having a contracted portion adjacent to its enlarged end, a stud freely shiftable in the wider portion of the latter slot and having a head adapted for engagement through the enlarged end of the slot in the other strip when the stud is disposed at one end of said contracted the slot in the first stripand the being adapted to be shifted lonslots of said strips to portion of stud then gitudinally in the means on one of said strips for engage-4 securely clamp the strips upon opposite sides of the blades.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. JAMES H. MACBRIDE. Witnesses:

CHARLES DEL BoNDIo, JEAN DEL BoNDro. 

